Business machine core

ABSTRACT

A core especially adapted for receiving business machine paper tape having a body portion and a friction increasing surface over a portion of the central part of the body. The core has a central bore or means of supporting the tape roll and is made of foamed plastic material.

United States Patent Canada et a1. Nov. 4, 1975 BUSINESS MACHINE CORE 3,123,891 3/1964 Brignac 264/290 R [75] Inventors: Joel 1. Canada; Eugene A. Neal, of Harm/i116, 3,270,980 9/1966 242/1 18.7 3,281,259 10/1966 264/48 [73] Asslgnee' gl'i g i gg Company 3,309,440 3/1967 264/321 3,322,373 5/1967 Wilson 242/118.7 [22] Filed: Nov. 24, 1972 3,335,207 8/1967 Richie 264/234 X 3,561,045 2/1971 Heffernan 264/290 R pp 309,401 3,577,507 5/1971 c6166 264/321 3,632,705 l/1972 Makowski 264/53 [52] US. Cl. 242/685 s1 1111.01. B65I-l 17/02 Pnmary Exammerqidward McCarthy [58] Field Of Search 242/685, 118.7, 118.32; AlmmeyAge'1lor GOYdO McBnde 206/59 R, 59 F, 59 C; 264/234, 288, 290 R,

290 N, 290 T [57] ABSTRACT A core especially adapted for receiving business ma- [56] References cued chine paper tape having a body portion and a friction UNITED STATES PATENTS increasing surface over a portion of the central part of 864,057 8/1907 Anderson 242/685 the body. The core has a central bore or means of sup- 2,454,83O 11/1948 Newton 264/290 porting the tape roll and is made of foamed plastic 2,535,188 12/1950 Beckner 242/118.32 i L 2,829,400 4/1958 Morin 242/1187 3,069,747 12/1962 Adams 264/290 X 3 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures US. Patent Nov. 4, 1975 FIG.5

BUSINESS MACHINE CORE It is well known that business machines utilizing strips of paper rolled on a core are extremely delicate and require those cores to be sized to very close tolerances. In the past, cores have been made of paper which generally is constructed from convolute tubes rolled with heavy wall thicknesses. These heavy wall thicknesses are necessary in order to retain the tape which is applied with substantial pressure. The paper business machine cores have presented problems when encountering varying degrees of moisture in the ambient atmosphere. The amount of moisture will have a determining affect on the size of the core and can cause malfunction of the machine. Furthermore, these paper cores are generally of substantial weight in relationship to their size and thereby require substantial freight and storage space. Another problem encountered with the paper core is the difficulty in maintaining close tolerances, especially as required in the highly delicate and complicated business machines in existence today.

In order to overcome the above noted disadvantages, inter alia, the instant invention comtemplates a business machine tape core made of foamed plastic material and utilizing a friction increasing surface.

A better understanding may be had of the instant application and the advantages thereof by reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like numerals refer to like parts:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of one embodiment of the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of an alternative embodiment of the instant invention;

FIG. 4 is an end view of the embodiment of the core of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of a further embodiment of the instant invention; and

FIG. 6 is an end view of the core of the invention with paper tape wound thereon;

Business machine core 10 is shown to have body 12 of generally cylindrical shape. Core 10 is made preferably of an expanded cellular plastic material such as expanded polystyrene having a density in the range generally of 5 15 pounds per cubic foot and preferably 10 pounds per cubic foot.

Body 12 of core 10 has outer surface 14 which has some type of friction increasing means thereon. For example, the business machine core of FIGS. 1 and 2 utilizes projections 22 which extend circumferentially about the core 10 and project outwardly to effect frictional engagement with paper tape 26 wound onthe core. Bore extends through the center of body 12 and permits the mounting of core 10 on the windup mechanism for winding tape 26 thereon or for mounting of the completed roll of tape in the business machine.

FIG. 5 shows an alternative embodiment of the invention wherein projections 22 extend longitudinally of body 12 and yet serve in a similar manner to prevent the sloughing of tape 26 from the core. It is to be understood that ribs of any configuration may be utilized. For example, diamond or circular shaped configurations are within the concept of the instant invention.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show an alternative embodiment of the invention wherein the central portion of body 12 has a stippled or knurled friction increasing area 16. Stippled area 16 extends substantially the length of body 12 with the exception of end portions 18 which are smooth in order to insure the proper mounting of core 10 in the aparatus. Stippled area 16 may be formed in any of a number of ways, but one means of accomplishing the stippling is to effect post expansion of the foamed plastic over that area. The post expansion may be accomplished in any number of ways such for example as applying heat and pressure over this area subsequent to the cooling of originally formed body 12. Another method of accomplishing the post expansion is to have body 10 roll over a heating element such that surface 14 is in contact with the heat and a post expansion of minimal extent is accomplished. This provides 'a friction increasing characteristic to the outer surface of the core and thereby insures that tape 26 will not slough from the core 10. Area 16 may be more of a knurled configuration which can be provided by a roughened mold surface.

Generally core 10 is constructed of a cellular plastic material whichis molded into the desired shape in preferably a single step molding operation using a heated mold which forms a smooth surface with a very thin shell on the exterior of the core. The cellular material in the spool is generally of a density of 5 to 15 pounds per cubic foot. This density and forming method have been found to provide projections or post expansion characteristics that establish the friction increasing characteristic that is necessary while forming a sufficiently strong and non-collapsing core.

What is claimed is:

1. A core for use in the mounting and dispensing of a roll of paper tape in a business machine or the like, said core being formed of foam plastic and defining an elongated cylindrical body of a length sufficient so as to accommodate the width of a paper tape, a bore centrally in said body, an outer surface about said body for reception of the tape thereabout, and means on said surface for increasing frictional engagement between the surface and the paper tape, said means being centrally located on said core, terminating inward of the opposed ends of the core, and comprising spaced elongated projections extending from said surface.

2. The core of claim 1 wherein the density of the foamed plastic is in the range of 5 to 15 pounds per cubic foot.

3. The core of claim 1 wherein the projections extend circumferentially about the core at spaced points longitudinally along said core. 

1. A core for use in the mounting and dispensing of a roll of paper tape in a business machine or the like, said core being formed of foam plastic and defining an elongated cylindrical body of a length sufficient so as to accommodate the width of a paper tape, a bore centrally in said body, an outer surface about said body for reception of the tape thereabout, and means on said surface for increasing frictional engagement between the surface and the paper tape, said means being centrally located on said core, terminating inward of the opposed ends of the core, and comprising spaced elongated projections extending from said surface.
 2. The core of claim 1 wherein the density of the foamed plastic is in the range of 5 to 15 pounds per cubic foot.
 3. The core of claim 1 wherein the projections extend circumferentially about the core at spaced points longitudinally along said core. 